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How is God with me today? In what He’s made.

With my heart acknowledging Him as Creator, today I feel His presence through the sweet delight He’s hidden in these things set before me: things I’d never notice but for their signature scents.

Dust and broken foliage, that’s all they are, one would suppose, just to look at them. But as I pour herb after herb, spice after spice into their separate confinements, unique fragrances break free to bless the air wafting to my nose, and I marvel at each uniqueness, built in since its creation. Cinnamon, cardamom, cumin… Sage, rosemary, thyme…

Why so many differences in the subtle scent nuances? And why the amazing ability of my olfactory apparatus, that I can easily differentiate one from another? And why the inner programming of delight He’s written on my heart, that these scents should make me smile so without my trying?

Is He not with me, enjoying my enjoyment, the way I enjoy the delight of a son or grandchild of my own? Is it just my imagination that I think I feel His delight at my delight?

What an insult to the Creator not to appreciate and savor all these wonders He’s put before us, and to enjoy the ability He’s given to sense all their great and delicate differences!

Oh, Lord, thank You for this joy: the sense of Your love poured out in these enjoyments. And may my delight at them and thankful acknowledgement of You as their highly skilled Designer bless You with its own unique incense of gratitude and love.

I am small dust and miniscule crumbled foliage, too. But did God not put in my love for Him my own signature fragrance? Is it not “sweet savor” to the Savior of my soul?

~

Thanking Him this morning…

for parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

for cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and cloves

for  caraway and celery and fennel and dill seeds

for ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and star anise,

for my olfactory apparatus

and all this uniqueness

and for the grace that makes it all rise like incense of joy—

to human noses and souls and hearts,

and then in turn, in return, back to the glorious  Giver of it all.

*****

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18 thoughts on “The Fragrance of Delight”

    1. I’m glad it perked up your perspective today, Linda. Messing with these fragrances this morning certainly got my week off to an unusually good start—especially appreciated when the forecast promises another snowstorm for tomorrow night!

  2. What lovely thoughts, Sylvia! I especially liked this: “may my delight at them and thankful acknowledgement of You as their highly skilled Designer bless You with its own unique incense of gratitude and love.” Yes, Lord, Amen.

    You may appreciate that the other evening Ebony came in from the back garden apparently having investigated something in the rosemary quarter of the herb garden. We inferred this because there was one specific patch of his forehead that distinctly smelled of rosemary: nowhere else on his body, just that one area toward the top of his head. 🙂

    I love all the sweet spices, ginger and cinnamon and cloves. My grandmother lost her sense of smell and consequently much of her taste after a bad cold some years ago, so you are quite right that our ability to enjoy herbs and spices is a gift. I too often take it for granted.

    Thank you also for your comment at my place. I needed the encouragement to press on today. You were listening to the Lord. Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus for whatever weighs on your heart today, Sylvia.

    1. I can smell him so vividly, Christina, almost as if he were right here with me! That’s because working with the rosemary this morning left its scent on my hands. I think it’s true what they say about it perking up your mental faculties, because for a Monday I’m way more mentally energetic than usual.

      My grandmother, who died before I was born, had no sense of taste. Yet, my mother said, she was an excellent cook. Seems she went by scent to tell how the food would taste to everybody else.

      I’m so thankful I can differentiate smells as well as I can. You’re right that it’s so easy to take our senses for granted until we’re threatened with their loss.

      Thanks for your wonderful comments. God be much with you today, and His presence very evident!

  3. Hi Sylvia! What a joy to be alongside of you as you prepared your herbs. I love scents too, and so many remind me of the Spirit. I went to a healing service once, and the oil had such a wonderful fragrance. It stayed with me for a day, and I just breathed in the joy and peace.

    Our senses are all such gifts, and so easily overlooked. Thank you for reminding me of the glory of the precious presents he gives, and smiles as we enjoy them. I think you made him really happy today 🙂
    Ceil

    1. And, Ceil, it’s such a pleasure to have you “with me.” Fragrance really does make such a ready “picture” of the things of the Spirit—and the human spirit—doesn’t it? Thank you for the sweet spirit of your comment. I think that makes Him happy, too.

  4. I know God delights at our delight! This makes following Him that much easier! Thank you for sharing and I glad I found you through Ann Voskamps link up. Blessings, Mary!

    1. Mary, that’s one of those things we know that we know without being able to explain fully how we’ve come by that knowing. Wonderful thoughts in your comment. Thank you for it. So glad too that we met!

  5. Sylvia,

    Your herbs and spices pulled me in right away, and I appreciated your link to God’s delight in here. That was winsome and encouraging.

    Mm, cardamum. I just made some Indian cardamum tea yesterday, and it sounds good now again too, after looking at your photos.

    Nice to meet you and to be here again. I’m stopping by from Ann’s link up.

    Jennifer Dougan
    http://www.jenniferdougan.com

    1. So nice to have you here, too, Jennifer! Cardamom tea. Hm, I’ve never had that. And I am a tea lover, both China and herbal. Have to look into that. I like Chai. I’m guessing it’s spiced with it.
      Glad I linked up at Ann’s and met you again!

  6. Awesome reminder of our Father’s sovereignty over every last detail on this earth. “The earth declares His majesty.” Indeed.

    We have rosemary bushes in our front yard my wife uses to cook with. One of my favorites. I too believe our Father delights in us when we acknowledge His loving hand. Excellent post, sister.

    1. Even the little things of earth declare His majesty, don’t they, Floyd?
      Rosemary’s one of my favorite herbs, too. I grow the plants in large pots because it’s too cold here in the winter for them to survive outdoors. I place them on the patio where people might brush them in passing and release that wonderful scent. Come fall, we move them first into green house, then into house, where they get very spindly. But this year my husband sequestered them in an inner (but windowed) room of the barn (what had been our goat-milking room), and there they are thriving! The rosemary in the photo was cut from one of those a few weeks ago. What a nice green winter delight!

  7. How beautiful is your spice collection! Such pretties give me delight. And I can almost smell them. I think you are right–God enjoys your enjoyment and that is such a beautiful way of worship.

  8. Delightful post indeed, Sylvia! Thanks for the fresh thoughts on how God is with us and delights in the things we enjoy. Have a blessed weekend!

    1. And an especially blessed weekend to you, too, Holly. Thanks for visiting and commenting.

    1. Thank you, Shelly, for your kind encouragement—and for providing your link-up.
      Rich blessings to you!

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